


Lightweights

by n7s



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League of America (Comics), Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Wonder Woman (Comics), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: One Shot, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7s/pseuds/n7s
Summary: tumblr prompt about the Trinity hanging together after hours





	Lightweights

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr prompt about the Trinity hanging together after hours

It’s after two in the morning for the East Coast but the Watchtower’s facing the sun, radiation washing virtually every surface if not for the almost spotlessly invisible protective glass that makes you feel like you’re in open space, and Alfred, he thinks with a smile, would probably find it mildly funny that the AI responsible for the up-keeping of the station is called Pennyworth. The original name was PJH-B but after everyone started jokingly calling out to ‘Pennyworth’ and after PJH-B started _replying_ , Bruce took the very silent liberty of changing the code and replacing it with A-Penny. No one would go looking, no one would ever know, but every time A-Penny finished its duties at the end of the day, the small notification that read _A-Penny has clocked out for the night_ brought the same smile to his face.

“It’s funny,” Diana says and it comes out as a slight drawl, even though it’s still more elegant than anyone has ever managed. The glass in her hands reflects the sun and the tablet’s surface turns into a mural. “We drink now… for no reason. But we didn’t drink for Bruce’s birthday a month ago.”

They were too busy picking up the slack after New York had almost been completely demolished on Clark’s birthday and, anyway, they still made time to quickly check in with him while he visited his parents back in Smallville. Aside from quick remarks the Wayne family in Gotham had be used to accommodate on February 19th, however, no celebration had been prepared for Bruce Wayne’s birthday, part of it possibly because Mr. Wayne had reportedly been seen celebrating on his own on some private island away from the city. The media wasn’t sure which island but they had intel about the specific drink combinations consumed, so it _had_ to be accurate intel. Alfred wasn’t new at this, after all.

“I don’t know about that. Stopping an alien invasion…,” Clark pauses. “ _Again_. Seems like a good reason to celebrate.” 

The almost finished bottle is dark green and the liquid inside as clear as water. Someone’s someone brought it as a present for the team at Hal’s birthday party because someone’s someone’s planet was famous for their heavenly brew and _brew_ , Bruce thinks, ended up being just a synonym for booze. He knew, of course, because he had analyzed every single component before even allowing it to be stored anywhere near the Justice League’s headquarters, but the ever so slight dizziness he keeps telling himself he hasn’t had for the last ten minutes indicates this wasn’t just alien booze. This was _strong_ alien booze.

“So how come _Batman_ ,” Clark starts and the last word comes out as an inside joke between the three of them, too grandiose and holding myth to be real, “can’t get drunk easily?”

“Because _Batman_ ,” Diana continues with the same tone, “is desensitized to anything that might compromise his judgment.”

And it’s true, and Bruce silently agrees, and he doesn’t say how this is funny to him. He _should_ be desensitized to alcohol but a year has passed and League business has taken up most of his time and Scarecrow with his chemicals are scheming silently somewhere away from Gotham and Alfred keeps swapping his glasses with ginger ale during parties and, if he’s completely honest, he’d probably _still_ get that headache he’s not admitting to even if the glass in front of him was filled with nothing more than watered-down beer.

_Pennyworth_ , his mind slips back. _Make a note with Pennyworth to start alcohol tolerance conditioning again_. He doesn’t know if he means the AI or the butler.

“If it makes you feel any better, Jordan’s birthday would’ve stolen the spotlight from anyone else in the vicinity,” Bruce says after a while. He specifically remembers a power ring-made piñata hanging from the Watchtower’s ceiling and Hal smashing it again and again…  and again. He didn’t like it all that much, it was clear, but every once in a while Bruce would move his head a few mere inches while reviewing field reports, and the fact it bothered him made Hal become both an enthusiast and a pro at piñata punching over a single night.

“It doesn’t,” Diana raises one eyebrow. “You deserve to be celebrated too. You’ve been a staple amongst this team. Weak excuses to avoid people from being happy you exist in their lives isn’t enough.”

Clark’s smile turns to a good-hearted chuckle that reverberates all around them. He places the back of his hand on his mouth as if he wants to show he didn’t mean to interrupt. “Batman doesn’t have a birthday,” he whispers in a conspiring tone, leaning in. “He wasn’t born. He was _molded_.”

Batman _laughs_ this time. It starts as a barely contained smile, then a wider one, then a noise that can’t be restrained as he joins in both Diana and Clark’s cheers. It’s not that funny, a part of him thinks, which only reinforces the silliness. He does his best to avoid acknowledging the same part, the one that wears the cowl the firmest, that reminds him of a certain painful night over and over again. The bottle’s level lowers some more so the numbness blissfully sets in. A sense of belonging has always been part of this room, this huge round table with its big insignias carved behind every chair and its big Seven making _team_  decisions all the time, but right now the world ‘family’ is louder than it’s been recently and maybe it’s not just the alien liquid that’s burning up Bruce’s chest.


End file.
